The country is facing a fiscal crisis, and the United States Senate is at the center of the debate about how to bring federal spending under control.

— Jeff Flake

If we can't have the courage to tell our constituents, hey, we've got to cut back, then if we can point to something and say, I would like to vote for more benefits for you, but this balanced budget amendment or statutory spending cap or whatever the device is, is preventing me from doing it.